Bike Crash

When I was a kid, I think about 10-years-old I had this bike. It was a red 10-speed bike. You could only get a 10-speed or a bmx style bike back when I was a kid. Anyway... this was my passport anywhere. I had a friend named David that lived over about a mile away. We went to to same school (private) that was about 1/2 way between our houses. Anyhow I would go over to his house a lot because he had toys, and basically a much nicer setup there.

One evening I was coming home and then I don't really know what happened. Sirens, I know I heard sirens. And I kept asking "what time is it?" But then I faded into black...

What happened was I was in a bicycle accident. In fact one of the eyewitnesses said he heard my head hit the concrete. This was before anyone thought about bike helmets... just so you know. I was out, or at least consciously out, I was with it enough to tell whoever my name, phone number. etc. My mother was called and of course this is one of the worst fears of a parent... going to see a hurt or maimed child. Sorry Mom. When she got there they had me covered with a sheet. She thought I was dead. I thankfully was not, but I had some serious issues going on. My head had swollen up to twice its size. The doctors said they might have to operate to relieve the pressure.

Now we come in where I actually become conscious again. "Where am I" I said, having not even opened my eyes yet. I was in a very uncomfortable bed, in the ICU of Meadowcrest hospital in Gretna. They wanted to do all kinds of thing to me there. Most of it involved diagnostic imaging. The first one of which I promptly puked green shit all over it. I told them sorry, but I did warn them before hand.

They also didn't feed me. Which now I understand why, but to a kid, whose mother works for the Emergency Room at Tulane...I was flabbergasted.

So how did this happen? How did I crash my bike? I don't know. About all I do know is I flipped over the handlebars and landed on my head. Thanks to whoever you are that came to my rescue I don't even know that much.

Eventually the swelling subsided they did not need to operate. I had a blood clot and fractured skull, and I couldn't do anything for about 9 months for fear I might bump my head again and dislodge the clot. I did ride, that very same bike, again... but I always thought about what happened to me that day. The really scary thing is that isn't the first traumatic thing that took place, not even in my childhood. And since it's going on still, I wonder what's next. That and I miss my friend David, but I miss a lot of things....